Your waterbed is an investment in your comfort, health and well-being. To ensure a successful move, care must be taken to properly prepare your waterbed for transport. With adequate pre-planning and proper packing, your waterbed may be safely transported.
Because of the differences in mattress size and the method of drainage used, disassembly time will vary with each waterbed. For information on how to drain a particular type of mattress, contact your local waterbed store or the manufacturer. Plan to allow adequate time to completely drain and disassemble your waterbed.
Most moving companies require the customer to drain the mattress prior to moving day. There are three ways to drain your mattress. The starting siphon method will take approximately an hour, as will use of a faucet adapter and drain pump. The use of an electric pump, available from your local waterbed store, will take approximately 25 minutes. Be sure to disconnect the heating pad before beginning the draining process.
When performing the disassembly of the frame, it is recommended that you put all screws, nuts and bolts in a plastic bag and tape it to the backside of the frame. Wrap the frame in furniture pads to avoid scratching the finish.
When folding your mattress, the baffles within the mattress will require special handling to avoid damaging them. Make sure that the waterbed has been completely drained. Water left in the mattress can cause the baffles to move out of place and can freeze in the winter. Either occurrence can destroy the mattress.
The mattress should then be folded to the end, so that each of the flotation baffles is folded on top of the next. You will end up with a folded piece as long as the width of the mattress and as wide as the width of the flotation baffles. This assembly can then be wrapped in pads and loaded into the van by your moving crew. If the mattress is to be in storage for more than five weeks, you may choose to purchase a conditioner for inhibiting mold and mildew growth. This product can be purchased from a waterbed store.
The heating pad also must be treated with care. Roll the pad, starting from either end of the bed. Rolling ensures that the elements within the heating pad will not be broken or twisted.